The Weekly Take, Issue 192: Fizzling Out After a Hot Start

Napoli began the 2021-22 season in molten-hot form, winning their first eight Serie A matches and surging into first place in the league. At that point, it somewhat felt as though Gli Azzurri were fated to win their first league title since 1990, given the fact that this was their first complete season since the tragic death of Diego Maradona just over a year ago. The Argentine was not only arguably the greatest player of all time; he was also by far Napoli's greatest and most iconic player. As such, one might have expected the team to become more driven than ever before to "win it for Diego".

However, since then, their blistering early-season form has petered out. This was evidenced in a 1-1 draw against Juventus, a result which extended a dismal run of form in the league. Dries Mertens put Napoli ahead midway through the first half, but Federico Chiesa's equalizer ensured that the Bianconeri would put yet another dent in their Campanian rivals' league title bid.

With that result, Napoli now lie six points behind league leaders Inter Milan despite having played one additional match. Even more alarmingly, over their past nine league matches, Napoli have collected just two wins and amassed a mere nine points, allowing both Inter as well as AC Milan to overtake them and almost certainly guarantee that the Scudetto will stay in the city of Milan barring a remarkable turn of events in the following months.

Napoli's form in European competition has also been less than stellar. Drawn into what should have been a relatively simple Europa League group containing Spartak Moscow, Leicester City, and Legia Warsaw, Napoli could only finish second in Group C. They lost out on top spot to Spartak on head-to-head record and thus missed out on a direct round of 16 spot. This also means that in what would be a significant shock, Napoli could very well end up exiting the tournament in the round of 24. They have been drawn against Barcelona in that round; despite Barça's struggles this season, they will nevertheless prove to be difficult opposition for Luciano Spalletti's team.

It will only get more difficult for Napoli in the coming weeks. Three of the club's players have departed for Cameroon to represent their countries at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Crucially, two of them are among Napoli's most important players: Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Cameroonian midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa. In the duo's absence, Napoli will have to find some way to rediscover their early season form; Atalanta and Juve are nipping at Napoli's heels in the chase for the final two of Serie A's four Champions League qualification spots. Any further slip-ups will almost certainly be punished.

In the ongoing January transfer window, Napoli should seriously consider acquiring a proven goalscorer. At the halfway point of the current Serie A season, Dries Mertens is Napoli's leading goalscorer with six league goals as of this post. This is worrying for two reasons: 1) it is alarmingly low figure for a club's leading scorer at this point of the season and 2) Mertens is 34. The attacking players who are in their prime have not been racking up the goals as one would expect. This lack of firepower up front has become increasingly evident in recent weeks; Napoli have scored just two goals over their last four league matches.

Napoli's lack of activity in the off-season transfer window has also come back to bite them. The only money they spent on transfers last summer was on Anguissa when they brought him in from Fulham; even that money was merely one of the requirements of a loan deal. While Napoli aren't necessarily as loaded with cash as are some of the other leading Serie A clubs, the absolute pittance they spent on transfers is inexcusable for a club at this level which intends to compete for domestic and European silverware.

There's certainly still time for Napoli to turn it around. However, considering the facts that this season's Serie A was poised to have one of the most open and hard-fought title races ever and that Napoli were among the favourites to win the Europa League, it's starting to feel as though after their blazing start, Napoli might just find themselves experiencing something of a "lost season".